Angle and distance gauge



-Au'g. 21, 1945.

v R. L. EBlNGEFi ETAL Filed Jan. 23, 1945 In .4. a z m w 6 x 2...

1g m p R. v NR m M i v Tm. R; v .J Em me m be formed of any suitable material.

Patented Aug. 2l, 1945 ANGLE AND DISTANCE G UGE Robert L: Ebin ger and Cecil E. Meree,

Charleston, S. C.

Application January 23, 194$,Serial No. 413,366

(eras-+174) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to angle and distance gauges and is useful in measuring the angle and distance between two separated surfaces.

The invention consists'broadly of two parallel bars secured together by adjustable locking means which will permit adjustment of the angle and the distance of separation between thetwo bars. Normally the two bars are held apart by suitable biasing springs, but when the bars are set at a desired angle they may be locked in that position until released. i

An object of the invention is to devise an angle and distance gauge which is symmetrical in its operation, that is, it maybe employed for measuring either divergent or convergent angles irom either end of the gauge.

A further object is to devise a gauge of the i type described having adjustable locking means in bar lb 'and is pivotally secured to; the bar by means of a pin la. In a like manner one endof providedat each end of the gauge and a common operating member for the two locking means positioned to be accessible at one end of the A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which a i Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the gauge shown in working position, for measuring thesize of a liner to be inserted between the base of a machine and the floor on which the machine is to be supported; s

FigureZ isa plan view of the gauge; f

Figure 3is an enlarged sectional view ofthe gauge taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1; a

Figure 4 is an: enlarged sectional view taken along the line ll of Figure 1; i 3

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 2; and.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a wedge embodied in the locking means. i

Referring to the drawing, the two parallel bars are shown at ,la and lb. These bars arepreferably formed of metal, such as steel, but they may As shown in Figure 1, the bars l a and lb are tapered in opposite directions in a complemental manner so that the wide end of one bar is adjacent the narrow end of the other bar. The two bars are i normally urged apart by means of a pairof biasing springs 2a and 2b, theends of which are seated in sockets or bores formed in the opposing facesof bars la and lb. A pair of link elementsI3a and 3b are provided at the ends of the gauge and serve to limit the amount ofseparation of the two bars by springs 2a and 2b: Qne end of the link 3a is positioned in a slot formed link 31) .is positioned in a slot formedin bar la and is pivotally secured to this bar by pin 4b. The free ends of links 3a and 3b extend into slots formed in bars la and lb, respectively. Link 3a is slideably secured to bar la by a pin 5a which passes through a longitudinalslot formed in link 3a. As more clearly shown inFigure 3, pm 50.

is provided with a head 50. which is looselypoe sitioned-in a bore formed in one side wall of bar la and is seated against link So. The pin 51; extends through the bar and projects beyondthe opposite face of the bar asshown in Figure 3'. In a like manner,link 3b extends into aslot formed in the wide end of bar lb and is adjustably secured to bar lb Pins 5a and 5b are provided with longitudinal slots formed therein for receiving wedges 6a and fib'which slide along the opposite side of bars la and lb from the heads of pins 5a, and 5b and serveto draw the pins forward and, clamp links 3a and 3b to bars la and lb. Wedges fia'and' 6b are provided with bosses 6a" and 6b at the thick ends thereof by which the wedges may be operated simultaneously by suitable-means to clam or release thelinks 3a and 3b. V

One suitab1e"arrangement for operating the twoclamping Wedges is shown in the drawing and consists of. a rod or shaft 1 journaled in a bearing formed inboss 6b and havingthreaded engagement at one end with the boss 6a; collar la is fixed on shaft 1 and is positioned in a transverse slot formed in boss Bb'l Theshaft 'l may be rotated by means of a knob lb positioned adjacent one end of the gauge, although it is obvious that the shaft 1 maybe extended beyond the other ;end of the gauge'and an operating knob providedat each end of the shaft. Rotation of shaft 1 in one directionJwill cause the two wedges 6a and 6b to approach each other and clamp the links 311 and 3b'to bars la and lb,

respectively, and rotation of shaft 1 in the opposite direction will release the two clamps. A pair of stop pins lla and Bbare secured to the sides of bars la and lb inpos'itions to'prevent withdrawal of the wedges 6a and 6b from the slots in pins 5a and 5b and toprevent unscrewingofthe boss Go from shaftll It will be understood that with the arrangement showngeach wedge serves tosupply the reaction force nec-' essary to clamp or release the other wedge. For

, example, .if wedge 6a releases first, then this I wedgemoves to the left until it engages stop pin 8a and then wedge 6a supplies the necessary reaction for releasing wedge 6b. In a similar manner, if wedge 6a should have the greater resistance to being released, wedge 6b will release first and then move to the right with shaft 1 until it engages stop pin 8b and will then supply the necessary reaction to release wedge So.

It will be noted that the operating force for operating the two clamping devicesis applied directly between the. two movable elements of. the

clamping devices, whereby each clamping device serves as a reaction element for the other clamp: ing device. This arrangement insures the simultaneous operation of the two clamping devices and reduces the possibility of one clamping device being tightly clamped when the other'is not entirely clamped. i Y

' It will also be noted that the clamping forces applied by wedges 6a and 6b to clamp the spacer links 3a and 3b to the bars la and lb are applied in a direction transversely of the common have shown a fragmentary part of a supplemental height bar lc positioned on the upper face of the exact construction shown, since it will be obvious that the construction may be varied in variou details without departing from the spirit of the invention. One obvious modification would be to provide threaded engagement between the shaft 1 and boss 6b, instead of using the connection by means of the collar la, but this plane of the parallel bars. This arrangement serves to clamp the bars in position without imposing any unnecessary strain or force on the pivots 4a and 4b, and there is no tendency of these clamping forces to disturb the relative positions of the two bars.

Suitable distance graduations are formed on the side face of each bar at the outer edge thereof.such, as the inch graduations shown on the side face of bar lb in Figure 1.

l One manner of using the. gauge is shown in Figure 1 where the gauge inserted between the base B of a machine whichis to be mounted on a sloping floor Rand it i desired to determine the size of the liner which is to be inserted between the base and the floor in order to support the machine in a level position. The locking shaft is first released so that the two bars are urged outwardly to the full extent of their movement by springs. 2a and. 2b. The two bars are then pressed together by hand and inserted'beneath the base B and the gauge is moved under the base until one edge of the base comes opposite some convenient graduation on bar lb. Due to the action of springs 2a and 2b, the two bars will be urged against the floor andthe lower face of a the base, respectively, arrdwill automatically as: sume the correct angular position for the two faces of the liner. The locking shaft 1 is, now

rotated to clamp the two bars in the fixed angular relation, and before removing the gauge from beneath the base, a note is made of the reading on the graduation on bar lb at the right edge of base 3 which willindicate the width of the liner. The gauge may now be removed and the angle between the outer faces of the two bars either direction from either end within the limits permitted by links 3a and 3b. Itis also obvious that the gauge is not limited in its use to measuring the angle between inclined separated surfaces, butit may also be used to measure the distance between the two parallel faces. I, v

For the purpose of increasing the operating range of the gauge, a supplemental height bar maybe added to one;of the two parallel bars. For example, in the right end of Figure 1 we separated surthreaded connection would have a pitch opposite to the threaded connection with boss 6a, so that the two bosses would move in opposite directions when the shaft 1 is rotated. Other modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What we claim is:

I. A gauge comprising a pairof parallel bars, a pair,of adjustable clamping devices mounted at spaced points along said bars for adjustably' clamping said bars in fixed spaced relation, a rotary shaft carried by said gauge arrdmounted substantially parallel with said bars, said rotary.

clamping said bars in fixed spaced relation,v a

common operating member for said clamping devices, and connections from said common operating member to said clamping devices for applying an operating force directly between said clamping devices so that each clamping device serves as a reaction element for the other clamping device, whereby the clamping pressures of saidclamping devices are substantially equalized.

3. A gauge according to claim 2 wherein theoperating element of each clamping device comprises a movable wedge, the two wedges facing in opposite directions, and the common operating member for said clamping devices serves to move said wedges in opposite directions.

4. A gauge comprising a pair of parallel bars, two spacer links arranged transversely of said bars near the ends thereof, means for pivotally connecting one end of each spacer link to one of said bars on an axis transversely of the plane of said bars, separate devices for clamping the free end of each of said spacer'links to the adjacent bar by a clamping force applied transversely of theplane of said bars, and a common operating member for said separate clamping devices comprising a rotary shaft mounted parsaid bars being tapered in a complemental manher whereby the narrow end of one bar lies adjacent the wide end of the other bar, a spacer link pivotally connected at one end to the narhaving an operating handle positioned row end of one bar, a second spacer link pivotallyconneoted at one end to the narrow end of the other bar, each of said spacer links extending transversely of theypivotally connected bars and extending into slots formed in the wide ends of the adjacent bars, a clamping device carried by the wide end of each of said bars and embodying means for clamping the free 'end of the spacer link against the side wall of the slot formed in the associated bar, and a common operating member forsaid clamping devices and end of said gauge. I

6. A gauge according to claim 5 wherein each of said clamping devices includes a wedge for pressing the spacer link into engagement with a side wall of the surrounding slot, said wedges being directed in opposite directions, and said common operating member comprising a rotary shaft at one having threaded connection with one wedge and a a rotary connection to the other wedge whereby the operating force of one wedge is applied as a reaction force to the other wedge.

7. A gauge comprising a pair of parallel bars,

a pair of adjustable clamping devices mounted at 

